FAO Schwarz Planning New Locations, Product Collections

Toy brand FAO Schwarz is continuing its resurgence with the announcement of several new locations and a few different licensing agreements to move beyond toys, according to reports.

The brand will make forays into home, accessories and candy products, and will open a second airport store at Chicago Midway International Airport.

FAO Schwarz currently has a store at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City and another airport location in LaGuardia Airport. The company said it has an exclusive deal with Hudson Group to open more stores in airport terminals across the country, and has confirmed that one of those will be in the Indianapolis International Airport.

The company will also open a 2,000-square-foot European flagship location in Selfridges in London, with a target date in November. It has also partnered with Kidsland, China’s largest toy retailer and distributor with almost 300 stores.

Another 27,000-square-foot flagship location is planned for the China World Mall in May of this year, in Beijing. The company is also planning a location in Canada with Hudson Bay.

Beyond toys, FAO Schwarz has partnered with Britannica Home Fashions to develop home fashion items like bedding, bath and other home decor items. In another licensing agreement, the company partnered with Galerie USA for candy and chocolate offerings and with Uncas International to offer jewelry, keychains and other accessories.

“FAO Schwarz is a global kids lifestyle brand,” said David Conn, CEO of FAO’s parent company, ThreeSixty Brands. “Because of its rich history, authenticity and nostalgia, we have always felt the FAO Schwarz brand goes beyond toys.”

In 2016, Toys R Us sold FAO Schwarz to ThreeSixty Group, a California-based company that designs and sells products under the banner of retail chains Animal Planet, The Sharper Image, Blue Hat Toy Company, Black Series, Discovery Kids and Smithsonian.